My mate Jane has asked for recipes using chutney as she keeps getting bottles of the stuff as gifts (sorry about that!) and doesn’t know what to do with it. I’ve come up with loads of recipes as I make soooooo much chutney and (short of giving it to Jane) I had to come up with uses for it. Should you be doing nothing this festive season, you will find me at various Christmas markets around the Gers with piles of Barbie dolls clothes (don’t ask) and yes, you guessed, chutney…

CHUTNEY - WHAT IS IT?
(Taken from the book “The complete South African Book of Food and Cookery” written by Sannie Smit and Margaret Fulton)
“This word (chutney) is derived from the Hindustani (word) “chatni”, which describes a well-seasoned relish or pickle that originated in India. Chutney is the standard accompaniment to curried dishes. It may be made from a mixture of chopped fruits, spices, acids and sugar, cooked slowly until thick, while some chutneys are a combination of fresh fruits, chopped, seasoned and served uncooked. Chutney can also be served with cold meat, cheese or as a sandwich filling.

This recipe is adapted from the book “The complete South African Book of Food and Cookery” written by Sannie Smit and Margaret Fulton.

(I got this recipe from my friend Anja and I think she got it from chefkoch.de. See also the post cantuccini - the story for more cantuccini information.)

Cantuccini or biscotti, are a twice-baked cake originating in the Italy. The cakes are large almond biscuits, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven and then putting it back in the oven to further dry.

Banana Coconut Cheesecake

I am often asked to make dessert as I love to cook and most people seem to enjoy what I make. What can I say, perfect in every way…okay so I’ll lay off the bottle a bit. I took this cheesecake over to Sam and Florian’s the other night and everyone enjoyed it so I thought I’d share the recipe with you along with photos, baking tips and party games for old and young.

Ackee and Salt fish [Jamaican]

Hello and thank you for waiting for me so patiently (or in some cases less patiently…!). The photo is hopefully all the explanation needed as to why I haven’t posted for soooo long. I’ve been here. Okay so I have also been working like a slave, but sitting in our camper van right on the beach was the best part of the last couple of months. And I hereby swear to never again ignore my blog for so long. Sorry and please stay faithful to me even if I haven’t been very faithful to you!

This is going to become one of my firm favorites as I love potatoes and minced / ground meat. Oma Sophie is the creator of this dish and is not only a fantastic cook but also a fantastic human being. Her 3 year old grandson was listening as his mother explained to his older sister exactly what grandparents are. He then piped up and said: “When I grow up I want to be Oma Sophie.” What a compliment and a well-deserved one too.